Online Reporter
Zvamaida Murwira
Senior Reporter
All vehicles and money assigned to Zanu PF cadres still belong to the party and are assigned to advance the cause and interests of the revolutionary party as it prepares for the 2028 harmonised elections, President Mnangagwa said yesterday.
The President, who is also Zanu PF First Secretary, stressed at State House that the property was party property, while distributing the first batch of 30 Ford Ranger double cab vehicles earmarked for the party’s Central Committee members, meant to enhance mobility and party programmes.
As party leader, he had procured vehicles and money to help the party carry out activities efficiently.
President Mnangagwa said the vehicles and money were not beholden to an individual beneficiary but the person assigned these was merely a custodian and conduit through which party activities should be carried out in a given province.
“I hope we have agreed on that. You are representing your province. It is not a personal vehicle where you only carry your wife, and family members alone. It is for party activities. You are just the custodian of the vehicle which came from the party to carry out party activities in the province.
“Once you abide by this directive, we will work together well. If I gather that the directive has been defied, I will not only withdraw the car but remove you from your party position,” said President Mnangagwa.
Zanu PF Secretary General, Dr Obert Mpofu echoed the President’s sentiments, saying both the vehicles and money handed to provincial chairpersons on Wednesday belong to the party.
“I want to thank His Excellency the President for his usual gesture to the party. We are being sustained, most of our activities, by His Excellency to us. This is quite commendable. Cars belong to the party and will be validated and fall under the inventory of the party. They belong to the beneficiaries on behalf of the party,” said Dr Mpofu.
“So we are not losing sight that these vehicles have been given to individuals. They are used by individuals but for the party. This is not the first time our President has done this, giving vehicles and other items to groups belonging to the party.
“We have always appreciated and are grateful for this support. The party is perhaps the most efficiently run in the region because of the direction that we get from His Excellency.”
Dr Mpofu said the same condition for vehicles applied to the US$100 000 cash handed over to the party’s provincial chairpersons on Wednesday.
“Yes absolutely. It also applies to the money given to the provincial chairmen. That is one area we have discussed with His Excellency, the President, that the money belongs to the province; the chairman is the leader of the province, his role is to supervise the prudent spending of that money, it is not their personal money,” said Dr Mpofu.
“The vehicle belongs to the party programmes in that particular province. That applies to the vehicles that they were given. They are party vehicles sent to facilitate the easy mobilisation of people in that particular province.
“When people start claiming that the vehicles were given to them personally, it is not correct. It belongs to the party, we have an inventory, we also have a record of what they were given by the party through the leadership of His Excellency. That is why he has called me to witness the event.”
In an interview Central Committee members thanked President Mnangagwa for the sterling work in steering the party.
“I want to thank our President for giving us this vehicle in Harare Province. He is indeed a listening President. He is forward looking and he has fulfilled the policy of leaving no place and no one behind. The gesture will uplift our province in terms of mobilising support,” said Cde Christine Taruwona.
Another Central Committee member, Cde Charle Chiponda, said the vehicles will boost visibility of the party.
“This will take our party forward. As Central Committee members, we are national leaders, with these vehicles, it will enable us to cover the whole province and effectively run the party and get into every corner that needs our presence to push the party work,” said Cde Chiponda.
This comes barely 48 hours after President Mnangagwa handed over state-of-the-art ambulances as the Second Republic seeks to modernise the health sector through investment in advanced equipment that guarantees timely emergency care for everyone.
On Wednesday, President Mnangagwa handed over 10 fully equipped Toyota Land Cruiser ambulances to different provincial referral hospitals in the country.
The donation will ensure that the Second Republic was committed to ensuring that every province had the necessary medical equipment to respond effectively to emergencies.
The ambulances are fitted with oxygen, delivery packs for pregnant women in transit, resuscitation equipment, masks, intravenous lines for drips, intravenous stands and trolleys among other essentials.
At that event, President Mnangagwa also handed over 10 vehicles and US$100 000 to provinces and these were received by ZANU PF provincial chairpersons
Another 30 dangerous drivers have been put on our roads. These ZANU-PF party branded vehicles have become a menace on our roads. They are recklessly driven and create chaos on our roads. I think ZANU-PF leaders must take action before it becomes an uncontrollable situation. The fact that they are not stopped at police checkpoints and do not pay toll fees make the drivers feel entitled to cutting across other drivers or exhibit bully behaviour on the roads.